<p>Are personal statements about the applicant (perhaps an ec, about applicant's life, an experience) or about why a particular school is a good fit for the applicant?</p>
<p>The former.</p>
<p>If the application has a question "Why xyz college?" then that is the place to explain why xyz is a good fit for the applicant (but the applicant should not rehash the qualities of the school.)</p>
<p>Here is what the Brown Admissions website has to say about the Personal Statement: </p>
<p>Form 3: Personal Statement
This is one of the most important forms in your application. It is your chance to give the Admission Committee the most clear and honest representation of who you are. It is worth the time invested to write complete and thoughtful responses to the questions on this form. This is especially valid for questions pertaining to activities, awards, achievements, and interests.</p>
<p>Your personal essay is your opportunity to tell us about anything you think we should know. Personal essays vary greatly from application to application in terms of form and content. The personal statement is your opportunity to introduce us to who you are, and to show us the personal traits you consider to be the most vital. We only ask that however you choose to represent yourself, your statement is sincere and original. One final suggestion - don't wait until the last day to complete the question.</p>
<p>Thank you for your responses. </p>
<p>Marite I had seen the Q which is specific to why xyz college, but I was wondering about the unspecified personal statement. I guess I started to think about it after we visited a state university, and the speaker stated that in the personal statements from candidates they always receive several that say "and this is why abc college is the best for me", but are writing it to xyz college (wrong school). It made me wonder as to whether they would like to know that you understand what is offered at a particular school, or whether the statement should give them insight as to who you are.</p>
<p>I also wondered because I have read that students have written personal statements about the opportunities offered at a particular school- ie: small classes with discussions, internships, research opportunities etc., and why they value those experiences.</p>
<p>If you look at past posts by InterestedDad, his D's personal statement described her involvement in some EC which combined academics and public service (math tutoring?). Her whole application, in fact, was what he called a one pony trick, every bit reinforcing the rest of the application. In the "Why Swarthmore?" she then described her visit and interaction with members of the faculty/students, etc... as a way of showing how good a fit Swarthmore would be for her (and vice-versa). This kind of detail is more effective than a description of the qualities that the college already knows it has, such as small classes and research opportunities. In fact, last year's Brown website had advice on crafting the personal statement that included something along the lines: "Don't tell us about ourselves. We know how good we are already." If my S had applied to Brown, which in the end he did not, he would have talked about his wonderful talks with profs, his encounters with students who were enthusiastic about being in classes they and fellow students wanted to take, and other comments along these lines.
Colleges such as Swarthmore and Brown put a particular emphasis on fit and demonstrated interest. My S wrote personal essays that made no mention of the two colleges to which he applied and where he got in. There was no question on the apps that asked about interest or fit.
Instead, he described taking part in a minor science competition and his interest in creative writing for one; for the other, he described his experience in the summer program he's attended for the past three years.</p>
<p>Marite, Thank you for the information. I</p>